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Some of Gov. Scott Walker's strongest supporters in Wisconsin's outdoor community sound jilted by his 2015-17 budget proposal that strips the seven-citizen Natural Resources Board of its powers to set DNR policy.

If the proposal becomes law, the DNR Board would become an advisory group to the governor-appointed DNR secretary, who would set agency policy.

These conservative conservationists hope this is just a big misunderstanding. They haven't felt so conflicted since Favre signed with Minnesota. For now, they're giving him the benefit of the doubt, and opposing him carefully.

"I'm not sure where this came from," said Greg Kazmierski, Pewaukee, the NRB's secretary and one of five Walker appointees on the Board. "It was a total surprise that it was in the budget, but other people than the governor have budget input. This might not be his initiative. That's my gut feeling. He's been hands-off with the Board since I've been on it, and I'd expect him to be that way in the future."

Kazmierski(Photo: Submitted)

Kazmierski staunchly supported Walker in the 2010 gubernatorial race, influenced the candidate's views on deer-management issues, and accepted Walker's appointment to one of the Board's six-year seats in May 2011. Kazmierski also helped persuade Walker to appoint Texas' James Kroll to review Wisconsin's deer program in 2012.

The DNR Board has a rich heritage in Wisconsin, originating in 1928 as the Conservation Commission to ensure public interests in natural resources weren't compromised by raw politics. Among its early charges from the Legislature was to set all fees, seasons, bag limits and regulations on fish and game.

When legislators reinvented the Conservation Department as the DNR in 1967, they empowered its seven-citizen governing board to set agency policy, and hire and fire its secretary. Gov. Tommy Thompson used the budget process in 1995 to usurp those powers by making the DNR secretary a Cabinet position.

Walker's budget proposal also would make the Wisconsin Conservation Congress an advisory group to the DNR secretary, according to WCC chairman Rob Bohmann, Racine. The 360-member WCC dates to 1934, and was created to systematically provide public input to the DNR Board on conservation matters. Each April it holds public hearings in Wisconsin's 72 counties to vote on conservation issues, and since 1972 it has been legislatively sanctioned as the Board's lay advisers.

Bohmann has openly supported Walker the past four years, and was "caught off guard" by the budget proposal. "I don't understand it; not at all," Bohmann said. "Five of the seven Board members are already his appointees, and he can name his own people to the other two seats in May. I would like an explanation, because the working relationship between the Congress, the Board and the DNR has never been better. You can't fix what isn't broken. This is a bad idea for Wisconsin."

Bohmann(Photo: Submitted)

Bohmann was working Wednesday on a letter formally opposing the proposal, and planned to send it to Walker, and key legislators and legislative committees. He's also crafting a resolution of opposition, and will ask the county chair of each WCC delegation to introduce it at the annual statewide hearings April 13. He will also discuss the proposal Monday during a conference call with the WCC's executive committee.

"This is ugly," Bohmann said. "I don't agree with removing the Board's policy-making power. Wisconsin has led the nation in keeping its citizens involved in the decision-making process, and the Natural Resources Board is a crucial part of our system."

By tradition, Wisconsin's governor talks each year at the WCC's annual conference, which will be May 14-16 at Wausau's Stoney Creek Inn. This year's conference would be Walker's fifth such appearance, and Bohmann expects members to share their concerns during the governor's traditional Q&A session with Congress members.

"Does this change how I view Gov. Walker?" Bohmann asked rhetorically. "No. He's still our governor. It's just a bad idea and everyone can get a bad idea. We all make mistakes. One mistake doesn't change how I feel about someone."

Still, Bohmann is urging WCC delegates to do all they can to boost attendance at the April 13 hearings. "We need 10,000 people to attend the hearings, work together and put some heat on this," he said. "We can't let this go through. It disregards the public and our conservation pioneers who created this system."

On average, about 7,100 people attend April's statewide conservation hearings, but attendance has reached or exceeded 10,000 only four times since 1970: 1975, 2000, 2002 and 2005. The attendance record was 30,685 in 2000, when hunters rallied for a mourning dove season.

Kazmierski said he's been hearing "quite a bit" from people opposing the initiative. "The public that's in the know on the Board, they realize what's at stake," Kazmierski said. "They realize the Board gives them a kick at the can, and listens to them. They also know that advisory means 'easily ignored.' When that attitude is pervasive, people give up and don't engage anymore."

Still, Kazmierski isn't sure how deeply hunters, anglers and trappers feel about the issue. "The public needs to understand what's at stake, but a lot of people aren't involved enough to understand the process," he said. "They could be the losers on this and not even realize it."

Patrick Durkin is a free-lance writer who covers outdoor recreation for the Press-Gazette. Email him at patrickdurkin@charter.net.